Floor furnace



ice 7' W Patented Apr. 11, 1961 This invention relates to air heating furnaces and particularly to air heating furnaces for residential or business establishments.

In prior furnaces, particularly floor furnaces, hot spots have developed around the furnace unit, making it dangerous to touch the floor grill above the unit. Since infants frequently walk around the house barefooted and frequently come into contact with the floor grill, these furnaces meet with objection from users and prospective purchasers.

It is a main object of the present invention to provide a furnace overcoming the above objections by so controlling the flow of air to be heated that a major part passes over the hotter portions of the furnace unit, and a minor part passes over the remaining portions of the furnace unit to make efiicient use of the air available and to make it safe for contact by infants.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fur nace as described above in which the furnace unit is specially designed in relation to air flow so that the hotter portions of the furnace unit are closer to the cooler parts of the air stream, so that maximum'heat transfer occurs.

then is directed by said blower onto the firebox and heat exchanger and then is directed upwardly through the righthand side of the grill.

Detailed construction The furnace housing 11 is made up of two side walls 31 and 33, two end walls 35 and 37, and a bottom wall 39. The end wall 37 is of angular form to provide a compartment for certain controls of the furnace. A cover plate 41, which is best shown in Fig. 2, conceals the controls. 'The cover plate is removable to enable adjustment and inspection of the controls from the room in which the furnace is located, thereby not requiring the repairman to crawl under the house.

The opposite end wall 35 is of stepped configuration, the sole reason for this being to provide a longitudinal dimension for the upper portion of the housing not exceeding a predetermined length. The step beneath the left-hand end of the grill 13 is of sufiicient depth to enable the laterally projecting portion of the housing to fit under a floor joist.

The divider wall 23 abuts at its ends against two shield walls 43 and 45 which are bent at 47 at their lefthand ends, as shown in Fig. 2, to space the main body portions to the shield walls away from the adjacent walls of the housing and to provide means whereby the lefthand ends of the shield walls may be secured to the Walls of the housing.

- The right-hand ends of the shield walls 43 and 45 are connected by a transverse shield wall 49, and such ends and the transverse'shield wall are secured in fixed relation to the housing by stand-off bolts 51. The .transverse shield wall 49 has an opening through which the Another object of the invention is to provide a fur-. I

nace as described above having a simple and inexpensive form of bafile means located in a unique manner to accomplish the objects above outlined. 1

Various other objects of the invention will be appar: ent from the following description taken-in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a floor furnace embodying the concepts of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale taken along line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken along line 4--4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

' General description The furnace includes a housing generally indicated by the reference numeral 11 closed on all sides except the top, there being a grill 13 for such top. A burner, indicated by the general reference numeral 15 and of conventional form, directs a flame into a firebox 17 through a pipe 19 as shown in Fig. 2. The combustion gases are conducted through a heat exchanger indicated by the general reference numeral 28 and exhaust through a pipe 21 as shown in Fig. 2. The firebox and theheat exchanger may be considered as an inner heater unit.

The firebox 17 is disposed on one side of a divider wall 23 and a blower 25 of conventional form is disposed on the other side of the divider wall. The wall has an opening 27 as shown in Fig. 3 through which air to be heated may be forced by said blower toward said firebox. Theair to be heated is first drawn downwardly into the lefthand portion of the housing through the left-hand portion of the grill, as the parts are shown in Fig. 1, and

flame pipe 19 projects.

The lower'edges of the shield walls are spaced from the bottom housing wall 39 as is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to provide passages for the air to be heated between the shield walls and the housing walls.

Contained within the confines of the shield walls is the heater unit including the firebox 1'7 and the heat exchanger 20. The heat exchanger comprises three hollow duct sections 61, 63 and of flat rectangular form. The duct sections 61 and 63 are vertically disposed whereas the sections 65 is horizontally disposed. The vertical duct sections 61 and 63 are disposed in spaced flanking relation between the outer faces of the box 17 and the shield walls 43 and 45, and the horizontal duct section 65 is disposed below and in spaced relation to the under side of the firebox and in spaced relation to the bottom wall 39 of the housing. A pair of outlet pipes 67 rigidly connect the firebox to the heat exchanger at the upper ends of the duct sections 61 and 63 and provide communication between the interior of the firebox and the interior of the heat exchanger. It is pointed out that the pipes 67 are disposed at the left-hand end of the firebox, as the parts are-shown in Fig. 2, to be disposed in close proximity to the blower 25 for reasons to be set forth hereinafter.

The heater unit comprising the firebox and the heat exchanger is supported by legs 69, as best shown in Fig.4.

The left-hand end of the firebox 1'7 and the heat exchanger are spaced from the divider wall 23, as shown in Figsll and 5, to provide a space into which air can be discharged from the blower .25 and from which .air can fiow into various passages provided between the fire box, the heat exchanger and the shield walls 43, 45 and 49. A pair; of bafile plates 71 and 73 extendupwardly rom the bottom wall'29 of the housing in diverging relationship within the space mentioned above. The bafile plates are] secured to the divider wall 23 by 'means of flanges v75, as best shownin Fig. '3, and the bafiie plates extend from the divider wall to the opposed surfaces of the heat exchanger 20, as is bestapparent from Fig. 2. More specifically, the lower end' of the baffie plates are "disposed generally beneath t-he side e'dges' of the blower opening 27 formed in the divider wall '23,-a'ridthe baffie plates have their upperends terminating adjacent the upper side edges of the heat exchanger 20.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2;4'and' 5, combustion gases pass upwardly toward the left-hand end" of the 'firebox'17 and pass from the firebox into the'heat exchanger through the pipes 67. The gases then'pass downwardly through vertical duct sections 61 and 63 and then across from duct section 61 through horizontal duct section 65 of the heat exchanger and out of the'furnace through the exhaust pipe 21. Thismeans that the'hottest part of the firebox is at the upper left-hand portion thereof, as the parts are shown in Fig. 5.

The air to be heated issuing through the blower'opening 27 impinges directly against the left-hand end of the firebox to cool the same, and also passes beneath and around the sides of the firebox and over the top thereof, and also passes'downwardly beneath the horizontal duct section 65 of theheat exchanger 20. However, the baflies 71 and 73 prevent air from directly passing into the passages between the shield walls and the housing walls and the heat exchanger. The air, however, may pass beneath the heat exchanger and then laterally and upwardly into such passages. The restriction to air movement provided by the bafiles, therefore, directs a major part of the air over the hottest part of the firebox and a minor part of the air over the less hot part of the firebox and of the heat exchanger. This is done with simple baflies combined with the unique construction of the firebox.

The air passing upwardly along the front face of the firebox is deflected to the right, as the parts are shown in Fig. 5, by a horizontal baffie 81 having a downwardly turned lip 83. This horizontal baflie 81 prevents air from being drawn directly back into the left-hand part of the furnace by the blower 25 and also assures that the hottest part of the firebox, namely, the upper left-hand end thereof, as the parts are shown in Fig. 5, will be subjected to a proper flow of air.

The shield walls 43 and 45 are notched at 85, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 5, to receive the lateral edges of the horizontal baffie 81. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the vertical baffles 71 and 73 extend upwardly into contact with the horizontal bafile 81.

Having described the invention in what isconsidered to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is desired that it be understood that the invention is not to be limited other than by the provisions of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An air heating furnace comprising a generally rectangular housing having an open top, a vertical divider wall dividing said housing into two compartments, said wall haw'ng an opening formed therein in substantially spaced relation to the marginal edges of said'divider wall, an air blower in one compartment of said housing'for directing air horizontally through said opening into the other compartment of said housing, a rectangular firebox disposed within said other compartment and havingan end wall the major portion of which confronts said open ing, said firebox being spaced from but disposed adjacent to said divider wall and the walls of said housing, means for' directing an air-fuel mixture horizontally into said firebox toward the mentioned end wall so that the products of combustion impinge directly on such end wall, a heat exchanger having interconnectedductsections disposed adjacent to but spacedfrom the side and bottom wallsof said firebox and disposed adjacent to but spaced from the side and bottom walls of said housing, said'duct sections communicating with said firebox at upper'p'ortions of said firebox near said divider wall, said heat e'x-i changer having an outlet passageway at the lower por 2 tion thereof remote from said divider wall, and bafile means for directing a major portion of the air from said blower next to and around said firebox and a minor portion next to the outer side surfaces of said heat exchanger.

2. An air heating furnace of the type set forth in claim 1 in which the outer side surfaces of said heat exchanger and the opposed inner surfaces of saidhousing define air passageways for the flow of air next to such surfaces and upwardly through the open top of said housing.

3. An air heating furnace comprising a generally rectangular housing having an open top, a vertical divider wall dividing said housing into'two compartments, said wall having an opening formed therein in substantially spaced relation to the marginal edges of said divider wall, an air blower in one compartment of said housing for directing air horizontally through said opening into the 'other compartment of said housing, a rectangular firebox disposed within said other compartment and having an end wall the major portion of which confronts said opening, said firebox being spaced from but disposed adjacent to said divider wall and'the Walls or said housing, means for directing an air-fuel mixture horizontally into said firebox toward the mentioned end wall so that the products of combustion impinge directly on 'such'end wall, a heat exchanger'having interconnected duct sections disposed adjacent to but spaced from the side and bottom walls of said firebox and disposed adjacent to but "spaced from the side and bottom walls of said housing, said duct sections communicating with said firebox at the upper portions of said firebox, said heat exchanger having an outlet passageway at the lower portion thereof, and bafile' means for directing a major portion of the air from said blower next to and around said firebox and a minor portion next to the outer side surfaces of said heat exchanger.

, 4. An air heating furnace comprising a generally'rectangular housing having an open top, a vertical divider wall dividing said housing intotwo compartments, said wall having an opening formed therein in substantially spaced relation to the marginal edges of said divider wall, an air blower in one compartment of said housing for directing air horizontally through said opening into the other compartment of said housing, a rectangular firebox disposed within said other compartment and havingan end wall the major portionof which confronts said opening, said firebox being spaced from but disposed adjacent to said divider wall and the walls of said housing, means for directing an air-fuel mixture horizontally intosaid firebox toward the mentioned end wall so that the products of combustion impinge directly on such end wall, a heat exchanger having interconnected duct sections disposed adjacent to but spaced from the side and bottom walls of said firebox and disposed adjacent to but spaced from the side and bottom walls of said housing, said heat exchanger being connected to said firebox, and baflle means for directing a major portion of the air from said blower next to and around said firebox and a minor portion next tothe outer side surfaces of said heat exchanger and the inner surfaces of said housing. V

5. An air heating furnace comprising a-generally rectangular housing having an open top, a vertical divider wall'dividing said housing into two compartments,'said wall having an opening formed therein in substantially spaced relation to the marginal edges-of said divider wall,

an'air blower in one compartment ofsaidhousing for directing air horizontally through said opening into the other compartment of said housing, a rectangular firebox disposedwithin said other compartment and having. an end wall the major portion of which confronts said opening, said firebox being spaced from but disposed, adjacent to saiddivider wall and the walls ofsaid housing, means for directing an air-fuel mixture horizontally into said firebox toward the mentioned end wall so that the products of combustion impinge directly on such end wall, a heat exchanger'having interconnected duct sections disposed adjacent to but spaced from the side and bottom walls of said firebox and disposed adjacent to but spaced from the side and bottom walls of said housing, said heat exchanger being connected to said firebox, and baflie means for directing a major portion of the air from said blower next to and around said firebox and a minor portion next to the outer side surfaces of said heat exchanger and the inner surfaces of said housing, said baflle means including a pair of generally upright plates spanning the distance between said divider wall and said heat exchanger, said plates being disposed in flanking relation to said opening in said divider wall.

6. A heater as set forth in claim 5 in which said plates diverge upwardly and extend downwardly to the bottom wall of said housing and extend upwardly beyond said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 64,599 Van Buren May 7, 1867 1,110,466 Stillman Sept. 15, 1914 2,130,630 Kolstad Sept. 20, 1938 2,482,552 Korsgren Sept. 20, 1949 2,580,492 Watts Jan. 1, 1952 2,660,160 Murphy Nov. 24, 1953 

